The garden is located near the Ponte delle Guglie, and belongs to the Savorgnan patrician residence of the same name, now home to a school.
At the beginning, the green area was designed by the architect Giuseppe Sardi, who also designed the palace of the same name, but over the years it underwent various modifications linked to the fashions of the moment and the needs of the various owners who succeeded it. Among the various interventions made to the park, the one from the early nineteenth century by Pietro Chezia, known for his architectural works in the theatrical field, in particular in the rebuilding of the Teatro di San Benedetto, should be emphasized.
The garden that can be admired today, freely open to the public, is part of the last substantial change that took place in 1826 by the then landlord Francesco Galvagna, a well-known baron who decided to transform that green space according to English taste. First of all, it was enlarged until it reached Calle della Misericordia and its width, much greater than that currently open to visitors, included a large grassy pavement and soft hillocks at staggered levels. Of the vegetation, currently there are about 200 specimens among holm oak trees, known for its particular wood from which the tannin useful for the treatment of leather, Ginkgo-biloba, paper mulberry, whose leaves are hairy, is obtained and rough, Bagolaro, Maple, Linden, Magnolia, Horse chestnut, Spinacristo, Tasso, Platano, and many others.
The Savorgnan garden is an example of those numerous parks of rich residences that kept inside removable greenhouses designed to protect the most delicate tree species from the winter cold. Starting from the 16th century, the opening of new trade routes also influenced the habits of the nobles who began to collect rare plants that needed shelter from the elements; greenhouses were thus arranged, simple structures whose horizontal beam was embedded in the wall and rested on a vertical upright. In some situations, even, to ensure a certain climate, mats or boards were laid and the temperature was heated with braziers. Even today, in calle Riello, small shelves in Istrian stone are visible, which served as a support for the horizontal uprights of the Savorgnan greenhouses.
Today the garden is owned by the Municipality and the Province of Venice, including the green area of Palazzo Manfrin. It covers an area of about 9,500 square meters and, in addition to the ancient elements present - among others also an ancient newsstand and a well both immersed in the vegetation - there is a play area for children.
